The Miracles only hit #1 once during the entire time Smokey Robinson led the group. That was in 1970, when “The Tears Of A Clown,” which they’d recorded four years earlier, finally made its ascent.

Bandleader Lawrence Welk achieved fame with his bubbly “Champagne music” and beloved variety TV show — but the star’s grandson insisted his goal wasn’t to become a household name. “He didn’t care ...

"And a one, and a two …" In 1971, after two decades on the air, ABC cancelled "The Lawrence Welk Show," a musical variety series led by the German-accented bandleader and accordionist Lawrence Welk.

For more than three decades, The Lawrence Welk Show was a staple in American living rooms, with its trademark champagne music and gentle humor. Hosted by North Dakota-born bandleader Lawrence Welk, ...